Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'Wight, J. (John)
General
Mornings at Bow Street: A Selection of the Most Humorous and Entertaining Reports which Have Appeared in the 'Morning Herald'
Wight, J. (John)
Crime -- England -- London
General Sarsfield Lucan wore an old brown surtout, with the collar turned
up behind to keep his neck warm, and a scrap of dirty white ribbon
fastened to one of the button-holes; a black velvet waistcoat, powdered
with tarnished silver _fleurs-de-lis_, and an ancient well-worn _chapeau
bras_, surmounted with a fringe of black feathers. He carried under his
arm a large roll of writings, and all his pockets were stuffed with tin
cases, pocket-books, and bundles of papers: his "fell of hair" was
ruefully matted; an enormous tawny whisker covered either cheek and his
upper lip and chin,--which, for want of shaving, "showed like a
stubble-field at harvest home,"--was all begrimed with real Scotch.
He said he was a native of Wexford in Ireland, and had spent the last
seven years in Paris, where his cousin, Louis XVIII., nominated him a
peer, and gave him a decoration (the bit of white ribbon above mentioned);
but his instalment had been postponed by the then recent change in the
ministry; his cousin (Louis XVIII.) assuring him, that as soon as his
present ministers were kicked out, he should come in. In the meantime his
father had died, and willed him certain lands and houses in Wexford;
whereupon he wrote to his sisters, who were resident there, to desire them
to send him the proceeds of his estates forthwith; but instead of so
doing, they had themselves administered to the will, and were dissipating
his patrimony. Under these circumstances, his cousin, the king, advised
him to set out immediately for Ireland, and seek redress in person.
"Journeying with this intent," he landed at Dover a few days before, but
on reaching London he found his finances exhausted, and he was now driven
to the unpleasant necessity of applying to their worships for a few
shillings, to enable him to proceed.
Sir R. Birnie said, he wondered his royal cousin had not furnished him
with the means of prosecuting his journey.
"Sir! I scorned to trouble him at all on such a _palthry_ subject as
money," replied the general, with some warmth; and he then went on to
state, that in order to satisfy his coach-hire from Dover to London, he
had been necessitated to give up possession of his working tools.
"Your _working tools_!" said the magistrate; "and pray may I ask what
trade your lordship follows?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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